Cherry splitter

ABSTRACT

Cherries are transported by an array of side-by-side belts which are driven past cutters aligned with respective separating guides, each of which separates the cherries of a bunch before the bunch reaches a cutter, and locates the cherries on opposite sides of the cutter. The cutter can cooperate with an anvil to support the stalks while the stalks are separated by the cutter, usually at a node.

This invention relates to a machine which is useful for separating thecherries of a bunch into individual cherries by separating their stalks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is necessary in some marketing areas to market cherries which aregraded for size, in turn requiring marketing as individual cherriesdepending from separate stalks, but as cherries exist in a bunch, theyare usually two cherries, often of different size, joined together bytheir stalks which are connected by nodes.

Attempts which have been made previously to mechanically split thecherries so that the stalk of each cherry is separated from any othercherry at or near the node, have as far as is known, been generallyunsuccessful in that the cherries are damaged by the equipment and someloss occurs. The alternative of severing the cherry stems atindeterminate points along their lengths has a deleterious effect uponthe cherries, which quickly deteriorate if the stalks are short. Themain object of this invention is to provide a machine which is capableof splitting most if not all of the cherries from one another at or neartheir nodes and thereby produce a more marketable product.

In order to achieve correct mechanical splitting near the node points,all, or nearly all, the cherries must be correctly oriented, butcherries tend to tangle, and must be untangled to effect the requiredorientation. Another object of the invention is to provide a machinewhich is capable of untangling cherries and orienting them correctly forsplitting.

Our co-pending, Australian Patent Application 23728/88 (U.S. Pat. No.4,892,650) relates to a device designed primarily for grading ofstrawberries. The machine of this invention can be an accessory to themachine of the aforesaid Patent in that the cherries split by thisinvention can subsequently be graded by a grading machine as describedtherein.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In this invention, cherries are transported by an array of side-by-sidebelts which are driven past cutters aligned with respective separatingguides, each of which separates the cherries of a bunch before the bunchreaches a cutter, and locates the cherries on opposite sides of thecutter. The cutter can co-operate with an anvil to support the stalkswhile the stalks are separated by the cutter, usually at a node.

With the invention, the cutter, if discoid in shape, can have a circularknife edge, it can have sharpened teeth, it can be of abrasive materialor it can be elongate, as a chain cutter. The anvil surface may be asurface of the guide, or separate abutment surfaces flanking the cutternear the upper part of its traverse.

In the preferred arrangement the cutter is a toothed cutter, the teethbeing so inclined to radial directions that they carry the cherries upone each side of each cutter and sever the cherries at the node pointswhere the cutters traverse the anvil.

More specifically, the invention consists of a cherry splitting machinecomprising:

a frame,

a plurality of belt upper portions lying side by side and extendingbetween pulleys carried on shafts journalled in bearings which are fastwith respect to the frame,

a plurality of cutter assemblies, each cutter assembly comprising acutter lying between adjacent said belts with at least portion of thecutter upstanding above said belts,

drive means coupled to the belts and the cutters and operable to effectrelative movement therebetween,

and at least one separator located between belts upstream of and alignedwith each respective said cutter,

the shape and location of each said separator being such as to dividethe cherries of a bunch when being transported by the belts when drivenby said drive means towards the cutters, in turn locating said cherriesof the bunch on opposite sides of a said cutter, the shape of each saidcutter being effective in separating stalks of cherries when on saidopposite sides of the cutter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention are described hereunder in some detail withreference to, and are illustrated in, the accompanying drawings, inwhich

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a machine according to afirst and preferred embodiment,

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a plan of Fig 1,

FIG. 4 is a part side elevation, illustrating two alternative cuttingwheel shafts, guide means and anvil, drawn to a larger scale,

FIG. 5 is a part plan of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic perspeotive illustration which shows the firststation operation of FIG. 1, and illustrates the manner in whichclusters of cherries are untangled and separated.

In this embodiment, a cherry splitter 10 comprises a frame 11, and atthe input end of the frame there is provided a sloping tray (not shown)which feeds cherries onto a table comprising a plurality of parallelmoving belt portions 12 of a continuous belt which has only one join init, this being achieved by a crossover belt portion 13 beneath the beltportions 12.

The belt 12 comprises a soft and flexible resilient polyurethane tubingof circular shape, and by utilising a single length the forces imposedagainst the bearings of the end shafts 14 are substantially reduced, andthe possibility of malfunction due to the existence of the plurality ofjoints is also substantially reduced.

A plurality of discoid cutters 15 are arranged in a staggered array,there being a plurality of cutters on each of the three threadedparallel transverse shafts 16 which are spaced from one another. Eachdiscoid utter 15 is somewhat similar in shape to a small diameter woodcutting rotary saw blade, having recesses in its periphery which areinclined with respect to the radial direction to form teeth 17. Eachcutter 15 co-operates, and lies between, a pair of spaced anvil blocks18 (FIGS. 4 and 5) carried on transverse frame members 19. These are notillustrated in Figs 1, 2, 3 or 5. The locations of the cutters 15 on theshaft 16 can be adjusted by nuts which threadably engage the shaft 16.

The cherries as discharged onto the belt portions 12 from the tray arecompletely random and it is necessary therefore for them to be separatedfrom one another as they approach the cutters 15, and to achieve thisthere is provided a combination of a plurality of smooth wall dividerplates 20 which extend vertically upwardly, which are carried by furthertransverse frame members 21, and these overlie and co-operate withrelatively large diameter separator discs 22 which are adjacent therespective cutters 15 as seen best in FIGS. 4 and 5. These discs 22 arecarried on transverse disc shafts 23 which also carry on them therollers 24 which guide the belt portions 12.

Notwithstanding the ability of the plates 19 and separating discs 21 toseparate the cherries of any one dual bunch of cherries, it is stillpossible for the teeth 17 of the discoid cutters 15 to pick the dualbunch up and transport it towards the anvil blocks 17 in an asymmetricalmanner, and to inhibit this there are provided pairs of soft resilientfingers 25 located one each side of each cutter blade 15, the fingers 25being carried by a transverse frame member 26, bolted at its ends toframe 11, and capable of being tilted about the bolts for adjustmentpurposes.

The aforesaid cutter shafts 16 with their cutters 15 were at stages 2, 3and 4 of the cherry splitting operation, wherein the cutter teeth pickedup the nodes of the cherry stalks and transported them upwardly andforwardly to the anvil blocks 18.

However it is sometimes desirable to sever the nodes in a slightlydifferent manner, as shown in FIG. 6. When cherries are first placed onthe moving belts 10, they are transported as a mass, each cherryassisting, and being assisted by, its assisted by, its neighbours tomove with the belts. It is possible, and in some instances desirable,for a cutter disc to rotate in a direction opposite to belt movement,and in this embodiment the first stage of operation utilises a shaft 30carrying cutters 31 in an antiolockwise direction (FIGS. 4 and 5). Thereverse rotation is effected by gears 32, and a supplementary chaindrive 33.

The periphery of each cutter 31 is tapered from both sides to a sharpcircular edge, and the cutter teeth 33 formed to triangular shapes, andanvil plate 34 terminates at its downstream end in a V groove 35 toprovide the required cutter configuration. The leading edge of plate 34is curved downwardly towards separating disc 22 as shown in FIG. 6, andthe cutter 31 and plate 34 are flanked by divider side plates 36 tolimit damage to the cherries traversing the first stage. As in stages 2,3 and 4, rotating disc 22 separates cherries of a cluster before theyreach the plates 34 and 36, and most, sometimes all, cherries areoriented as shown in FIG. 6 before the nodes are severed by the teeth33. Obviously however, the arrangement of FIG. 6 can be used for allstages, or the arrangement of the above described second, third andfourth stages can alternatively be used for all stages.

Drive is effected by a single drive motor 40 provided with a gear box 41which drives all shafts 14, 16 and 23 by chain and sprocket drive means42, and it can be seen from FIG. 4 that the peripheral speed ofseparating discs 22 exceeds the translational speed of belt portions 12,and the peripheral speed of cutters 15 exceeds that of discs 22.

Experiments have established that the device according to this inventionis capable of separating a large percentage of the cherries which arerandomly placed onto the belt portions 12, and only a very small numberof cherries which are transported to the discharge end 43 of thesplitter 10 will have dual stalks. The discharged cherries can bedirected onto the entry end of a device constructed in accordance withthe aforesaid Australian Patent Application 23728/88 (U.S. Pat. No.4,892,650) for accurate grading.

Although there were many difficulties to be overcome in developing theinvention described herein, it has nevertheless resulted in a simple buteffective cherry splitting arrangement.

We claim:
 1. A cherry splitting machine comprising:a frame, a pluralityof belt upper portions lying side by side and extending between pulleyscarried on shafts journalled in bearings which are fast with respect tothe frame, a plurality of cutter assemblies each cutter assemblycomprising a cutter lying between adjacent said belts with at leastportion of the cutter upstanding above said belts, drive means coupledto the belts and the cutters and operable to effect relative movementtherebetween, and at least one separator located between belts upstreamof and aligned with each respective said cutter, the shape and locationof each said separator being such as to divide the cherries of a bunchwhen being transported by the belts when driven by said drive meanstowards the cutters, in turn locating said cherries of the bunch onopposite sides of a said cutter, the shape of each said cutter beingeffective in separating stalks of cherries when on said opposite sidesof the cutter.
 2. A cherry splitting machine according to claim 1wherein each said cutter is of discoid shape and comprisescircumferentially spaced teeth, the cutter assemblies further comprisinganvils adjacent to and co-operable with respective said cutters, saiddrive means rotationally driving said cutters the teeth of which engagenodes of cherries being split and sever the stalks against the anvils.3. A cherry splitting machine according to claim 1 wherein saidseparators comprise discoid separator wheels having upper portionsprojecting upwardly from between adjacent said belts, and wheel drivemeans drive said wheels with their said upwardly projecting portionsmoving in the same direction as said belts.
 4. A cherry splittingmachine according to claim 1 wherein the belt of each said belt portioncomprises soft and flexible resilient tube, and comprises a singlelength having a cross-over portion beneath said belt upper portions. 5.A cherry splitting machine according to claim 1 wherein said at leastone separator comprises smooth wall separator discs and each said cutteris of discoid shape and comprises circumferentially spaced teeth, boththe cutters and the separator discs having upwardly extending portionswhich extend upwardly from between adjacent said belts,and comprising acutter shaft and a separator disc shaft parallel to the cutter shaft,both said shafts being transverse to a direction of travel of said beltupper portions, a plurality of cutters on the cutter shaft and aplurality of separator discs on the separator disc shaft longitudinallyaligned with respective said cutters, said drive means being coupled tosaid shafts to drive said shafts in the same direction, each said cutterassembly comprising anvil blocks fast with respect to the frame andlocated adjacent said cutters, said belts, separators, cutters, andanvil blocks being in an configuration whereby, in use, said beltstransport cherries past the separators which separate cherries ofclusters of cherries to lie adjacent opposite sides of the separatorsand said cutter teeth pick up the nodes of stalks of the thus separatedcherries and sever them against the anvil blocks.
 6. A cherry splittingmachine according to claim 5 wherein said frame comprises a main frameand a transverse frame member located above said belts, and a pluralityof pairs of fingers of soft and resilient material, the fingers of eachpair projecting from the transverse frame member and being located oneeach side of a respective said cutter, and adjustment means between themain frame and transverse frame member effective in adjusting relativepositions of the fingers and cutters.
 7. A cherry splitting machineaccording to claim 5 wherein said separator disc shaft is located beloWsaid belt upper portions and comprises a plurality of grooved rollersbetween adjacent said separator discs, the roller grooves being annularand engaged by said belt upper portions.
 8. A cherry splitting machineaccording to claim 5 wherein said cutter shaft is located above saidbelt upper portions, and has a thread intermediate its ends engaged bynuts, by which the locations of the cutters are adjustable.
 9. A cherrysplitting machine according to claim 5 wherein said at least oneseparator further comprises divider plates which extend upwardly fromrespective said separator discs and lie adjacent portions of saidcutters.
 10. A cherry splitting machine according to claim 1 whereineach said at least one separator comprises smooth wall separator discsand each said cutter is of discoid shape and comprises circumferentiallyspaced teeth, both the cutters and the separator discs having upwardlyextending portions which extend upwardly from between adjacent saidbelts,and comprising a cutter shaft and a separator disc shaft parallelto the cutter shaft, both said shafts being transverse to a direction ofbelt travel, a plurality of cutters on the cutter shaft and a pluralityof separator discs on the separator disc shaft longitudinally alignedwith respective said cutters, said drive means being coupled to saidshafts to drive said shafts in opposite directions, each said cutterassembly comprising an anvil plate fast with respect to the frame, eachanvil plate extending longitudinally between a said separator disc andcutter and having an end adjacent said cutter, said belts, separators,cutters and anvil plates being in a configuration whereby, in use, saidbelts transport cherries past the separators which separate cherries ofclusters of cherries to lie adjacent sides of the separators, transportthe thus separated cherries past the anvil plates with stalks straddlingthe anvil plates, and the cutter blade teeth sever the stalks againstthe anvil plates.
 11. A cherry splitting machine according to claim 10wherein said at least one separator comprises divider side plates whichextend from each respective said separator disc in the direction of belttravel and flank both the anvil plate and aligned cutter of said cutterassembly.